The picturesque town of Caherciveen would seem to be the perfect spot in which to self-isolate. Located on the Ring of Kerry, the town and its environs has often been described as tranquil paradise, offering some of the world’s most spectacular scenery.

But in mid-March, the community was plunged into a state of turmoil after it was decided to house 105 asylum seekers at the former Skellig Star Hotel.

A total of 24 of its residents have now contracted the virus, including a seven-year-old girl and three members of staff.

There are now just over 70 guests left, some of whom are still sharing rooms with non-family members, and some 30 residents have now been moved to other centres nationwide.

Residents from the town fear they were also exposed to the virus in the days before the new arrivals had to quarantine inside their accommodation.

They now want to know why the asylum seekers weren’t tested before they arrived and are urging the Government to transfer them to a larger facility where they can safely isolate.

On Thursday, around 30 locals staged a silent protest through the town, carrying signs that expressed their solidarity and frustration, such as ‘Cahersiveen says yes to asylum seekers’ and ‘Dept of Justice; admit you got this wrong’.

As they marched past the Skellig Star Hotel, the asylum seekers hung signs, made from sheets and pillowcases, out of their windows that read: ‘This place is fully infected – Move us out’ and ‘Our children’s lives before profit. We matter too’.

Lisa O’Shea, of the Fáilte Caherciveen group, said the last thing they want the public to think is that they’re against the asylum seekers.

‘The vast majority of the town greatly welcomes these people who came looking for a new beginning,’ she said.

‘Our problem is that the Department of Justice isn’t overseeing this facility and instead have delegated the responsibility to a private company.

‘A third of all direct provision Covid-19 cases in the country are now in Caherciveen. The Government are calling this hotel a dedicated direct provision centre, yet it is completely unsuitable.’ The 56-bed premises is being run by Paul Collins, of Remcoll Capital, and was opened as a direct provision centre on March 18 without public consultation.

The Mail contacted a representative for Mr Collins for comment but no response had been received by last night.

Locals were told this was a pandemic emergency measure due to overcrowding in Dublin.

It was believed that Caherciveen would be a safe location for the asylum seekers to stay during the health crisis. Less than a month after arriving, four inhabitants tested positive for Covid-19 before being transported to a more appropriate setting in Cork.

All occupants at the former hotel were tested for Covid-19 several weeks ago. However, two more cases were confirmed on Tuesday and Wednesday – bringing the total to 24.

Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae

The increase in infections has prompted calls for the HSE to retest the asylum seekers. However, the Irish Daily Mail has learned it has no intention of doing so.

‘At this stage there are no plans nationally or locally to repeat universal testing in any residential centre,’ a representative of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said in an email seen by the Mail.

‘HSE Public Health Dept continues to monitor the situation and to advise the Dept of Justice, management, staff and residents in the centre on the control of infection,’ the email said.

Jack Fitzpatrick, chair of the Caherciveen Community and Business Alliance, said the decision to turn the Skellig Star Hotel into a direct provision centre came unexpectedly to the entire community.

‘A meeting was set up on March 16 with the owner of the hotel and members of the business alliance. Paul Collins had told us that the contract had already been signed with the Department of Justice, but even though they went about it in the wrong way we accepted the decision due to the scale of this pandemic.

‘We intended on doing our best to welcome these people, assuming they would have been tested before they came [here],’ he said.

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan TD. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Mr Fitzpatrick, who owns The Market House shop in the town, said his first concerns came when he heard that a packed bus from Dublin arrived at the hotel on March 18.

‘There was no social distancing, even though some of the asylum seekers came from a hotel in the capital where there had been confirmed cases of the virus.

‘About a month later, there was a rumour around the town that four residents were tested positive. We approached the owner who told us out straight that this was unfortunately the case.

‘This means that these people had been going around the town putting the community at risk without their knowledge.’ The businessman sympathises with those still in the hotel.

‘There isn’t even a kettle in the bedrooms. We are now delivering supplies to help them get by.

‘The first night they came, we brought pizzas and ice-cream just to let them feel welcome. But the property they’re in isn’t fit for purpose. Are they going to wait for everyone to get sick before they are moved to a safer site?’ Kerry TD Danny Healy Rae told the Mail that he’s demanding a full investigation into the matter.

‘The whole situation was managed appallingly. To send more than 100 asylum seekers from one part of the country to the next without even testing them is beyond stupid,’ he said.

‘I’m blaming the Department of Justice, who have completely flouted the Government’s guidelines. These poor people haven’t a chance of staying safe, especially the ones who are sleeping in bedrooms with non-family members. ‘Someone needs to be held accountable because God knows what the full consequences of this decision will be.’ A Department of Justice spokesman said that non-family members sharing a room in direct provision centres are considered to be a household during the coronavirus crisis.

‘As part of our response to the Covid-19 pandemic we have secured new accommodation providing over 850 bed spaces and, in consultation with the HSE, relocated over 600 residents to support social distancing in centres and cocooning measures for the most vulnerable.

‘[A total of] 299 of the 850 new beds are being used for off-site self-isolation facilities in four hotels in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Dundalk.

‘In off-site self-isolation facilities all residents have their own bedroom and an en-suite bathroom. ‘The rest of our residents are in either single-occupancy rooms, living with family in larger family rooms, or are living in own-door accommodation,’ the spokesman said.

‘Any decisions regarding the movement of our residents to other accommodation during this pandemic have been made in the context of prioritising the best interests of our residents, and in full consultation with the HSE National Social Inclusion Team.

The spokesman added: ‘As advice from Government and the HSE has evolved over the course of the pandemic, our approach has also evolved and we endeavoured to respond quickly to changing circumstances.’ Another Department spokesman confirmed that anyone who had contracted Covid-19 at the former hotel has been transferred to an offsite self-isolation facility, where they will be cared for until the HSE considers that they can safely return. To protect the privacy of residents we do not confirm specific locations or premises.

‘The advice for remaining residents in the Skellig… centre to quarantine is public health advice, provided by public health authorities. The HSE, which we work closely with, are monitoring the situation… in Caherciveen.’

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